


El Condor Pasa

by curi_o



Series: Pain for Jayne [5]
Category: Firefly
Genre: Content: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-08-22
Updated: 2006-08-22
Packaged: 2017-11-08 23:01:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/448507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curi_o/pseuds/curi_o
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes they don't come back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	El Condor Pasa

**Author's Note:**

> Pain for Jayne prompt: silver
> 
> _I'd rather feel the earth beneath my feet.  
>  Yes, I would, if I only could.  
> I surely would._
> 
> _— "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)", Simon and Garfunkel_

* * *

“River, c’m’ere. I think yer holster’s twisted in the back.”

The younger woman glanced at Kaylee, who giggled. River rolled her eyes and moved closer to Jayne.

“I am positive the gun belt needs no adjusting, Jayne. Honestly, you’re worse than Simon, the way you fuss,” she grumbled.

Jayne glanced up at River’s boob of a brother, standing beside Kaylee on the catwalk. The little pansy had the nerve to grin smugly down at the mercenary, pleased to have been out-boobed for once. Jayne smirked when Kaylee noticed the exchange and dragged Simon off to a place where the doctor couldn’t tempt fate.

“Yeah, well, I ain’t so sure ‘bout that armored vest. Just let me get some peace of mind, okay? I ain’t gonna be there to save yer crazy back end,” he said, palming the rear in question, “an’ I gotta make sure it comes back to me safe’n shiny.”

River pouted at him. “Just the _gluteus maximus_? Thought you’d miss other parts more.”

Mal’s annoyed voice cut into their flirting. “Jayne, if you don’t take your hands off my albatross, I’m gonna get Simon back down here to drug you again.” 

Jayne sent Mal a dirty look. 

“And don’t think you can take us all with that leg of yours. The ‘tross is on the clock, and she’s takin’ orders from her Captain. I tell her to drop the old man in the wheelchair, she’ll do it. And if you’re lucky, she won’t break the other leg in the process.”

Jayne snorted at River’s serious nod and answered her question, ignoring Mal.

“Nope,” he deadpanned. “Ain’t got no use for any of the rest of you. Well, no. I gotta think on that. Back up a bit.” 

River took a step back and he appraised her. To think he’d almost lost all of this seekin’ a fistful of silver. He shook his head at his idiocy before continuing.

“Well, I ‘spose there’s other bits’re important, too.” He reached toward her hips and she stepped into his grasp. “I couldn’t handle it if’n you didn’t bring these back,” he added, hands on the guns at either side of her body.

It was River’s turn to snort as she shook out of his grasp. She gave him a wicked grin before sauntering toward the mule, exaggerating the swing of her hips. 

She’d nearly reached the vehicle when she abruptly turned and flew back toward him to plant a firm, heated kiss on his mouth. “So you don’t forget me,” she whispered.

And she was in the mule and gone before he got a chance to tell her that weren’t likely to ever happen.

* * *

He was lifting his hand weights in the bay when the call came in. It was Kaylee whose hand touched his arm gently. He looked at the tears in her eyes and knew.

“She ain’t comin’ back, huh?”

“Cap’n didn’t say that,” Kaylee protested, her voice hopeful, even if her eyes betrayed the truth.

“What _did_ he say?” Jayne suddenly felt very old and very tired.

“He—“ Kaylee’s voice broke. “He said, ‘Tell Jayne that River said she loves him.’” The tears spilled from her eyes, then, and she wrapped her arms around Jayne and sobbed.


End file.
